Drowning in the Siren's Song

Chapter 54

'Boss!!!' Blackjack was still gaping at him- at least that's what Percy felt.
Obviously horses can't gape. 

'You-! Your hair?!' He was stomping his hooves, probably the only way he could deal with the surprise. His tail swung wildly against the green backdrop. 

Percy had forgotten that he must've looked quite different to how he had been the last time Blackjack had seen him. He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling shy. 
'Somehow suits you.' The stallion reached the conclusion after scrutinizing him for a good minute. 

"Yeah," Percy spoke aloud, preferring that to the mental telepathy. "I didn't get the time to cut it at all." He twirled the ends of his hair around his fingertips, wondering how the hunters would react to it. 

He'd been born with unruly hair, a weird mix between curly and wavy, just enough to drive the naiads insane. He'd always kept it short but during the year he was at the Wolf House, he'd completely neglected his appearance. He'd only realized when he admitted it aloud to the Pegasus. 

And as a result, his hair had grown quite wild, quite literally. It reached his shoulders now, the lengths uneven after having bits chopped by blades of imperial gold. Mrs. Russo had offered him a haircut, but he'd been too absorbed in training to actually get the cut done, instead preferring to keep it tied. 

It was only because he was going home that he took some effort and washed and combed his mane. He'd been given a good scrub and had dressed himself nicely, just enough to ensure that no one would scold him. 

His hair was loose with curls drifting whenever a breeze passed by. It felt weird since the only thing he did with his hair was tie it tightly so that it wouldn't trouble him during training. It was also to prevent Keria from tugging on it though. When his hair was in the awkward stage where it was too short to be tied but still crept in his eyes, she enjoyed grabbing onto it with her beak as a handle. 

Even now he could see her eyeing his poof of hair. Thankfully, Blackjack's arrival had kept her occupied. While those two caught up (?) with one another, Percy was saying his goodbyes.

Blackjack had arrived somewhere around midnight and they wanted to leave as soon as possible to avoid any curious eyes. His black coat gave good camouflage and the glamour which was present veiled them quite nicely but they had more to hide from non-mortals. 

He called Jason and Reyna over, both who were too stupefied by Blackjack to come closer voluntarily. It was understandable since compared to his reaction on seeing a Pegasus for the first time, they both were carefully dignified. They didn't hesitate to come closer.

Now that they were done with the hugs and tears, the goodbye was surprisingly quick and simple. 

He patted Jason once on his shoulder and told them to keep their knives sharp. "Listen to Lady Lupa." He advised them. She was eccentric but even that was a quality which they could learn from. "The next time we meet, you should be strong enough to beat me."

Jason almost scoffed out loud. It was too ridiculous to even comprehend, but Reyna seemed to have accepted it. Her eyes burned with determination while he looked on with bewilderment. She was serious. 

Percy also liked it. He gave a small smirk, and to Jason who had attended several raids by his side, he recognized the expression immediately. It was the same one he wore when he had a particular bloody kill. It was a smirk of satisfaction. 

A beast had raised another beast.

He took a step back, throwing a glance at Lupa. And for a moment he forgot who taught the beasts. She was licking her claws while her dark eyes shined with glee. She was enjoying the display of strength. 

Jason coughed once, distracting Percy and Reyna from whatever darkness they were playing with. A bundle of brown fur came forward at that moment, wriggling his way between them, almost pushing Reyna over. 

"Bye-Bye, pup." Percy rubbed Rey's ears. He'd grown to the point where his hand would be buried if he'd touched his head. He had become so accustomed to Pan's blessing that whenever he spoke to animals, it was as if he was speaking twice, once aloud and the another mentally. He didn't know if it was a language but he had become fluent in it. 

He bowed thrice, once to the pack and the second time to the Russo couple and the third to Lupa. All the wolves stood up as a response and Lupa flicked her tail. It was a sign of respect. The Russo couple simply smiled, already having given their parting remarks and blessings.

Without delay he jumped up on Blackjack's back and called Keria to his arm. It was a sight to behold. He was shrouded in shadow, sitting atop a black Pegasus, having Keria's inky feathers veiling him and his own mane flowing behind him. He was the embodiment of darkness but flashed the brightest smile down at them. 

And just like that, he was in the air, no more than a distant spot of black among the night sky.